Octonman and other stories

Wishing Well

Everyone who visits our town will toss a coin into the well, a penny, a nickel, a quarter even. And today I was feeling particularly sad, so I took the last penny I had on me, and walked over to the well. It looked dim, and sad.

I tossed in my penny and sighed, in my head, I wished to be rich, rich enough to pay off my family's debts, rich enough to pay off my own debts, rich enough to help people, to help myself. I opened my eyes, and was surprised to see a glowing light at the bottom of the well.

A mist billowed up from the well and a jolly looking misty woman came out of it. "Well, hello darling. How're you?"

"Uh... good? How-how are you?"

The woman laughed, it was nice. "I'm fantastic! You finally paid off the debt to all the wishes that have come in! You should be proud of yourself!I'm finally going to grant all of the wishes!" A piece of rolled up paper appeared in her hand. She pulled the string that kept it together, and it rolled out... far.

"Hang on, what?"

"So, you know how inflation is? I had to take that into account for the wishes, so one simple penny for a wish didn't cut it. People toss in coins all the time now, and wish, sometimes people wish without paying. I get it, some people don't have the money. So I kept a tally of all the wishes, and who they go to! And you finally paid it off!" The lady smiled widely.

"I guess that makes sense..." I replied. "But magic isn't real?"

"Oh shush. People just tell you that because they think it's too complicated. It really isn't, you just have to have the right mind for it, because it can be taxing for normal humans. Anyway..." She looked down at her list. "I have to start granting these wishes. First is actually your grandmother. She wished for good health for all of her family. She more than likely wished it for her dying father and her bedridden mother, but she has more family now, so I'm sure she'll still appreciate it." She swished her finger in the air, and it sparkled around her.

I suddenly felt my back pain reside and my back straightened. My slight headache dissipated, and my eyes adjusted. I had to take off my glasses to see correctly, like Spider-Man.

"Who's next?" The lady asked. "Ah, Charles, he did come here a lot." She wagged her finger again, and suddenly there was a lady standing there with us. She was... green, and rotten. "He asked for his mother to come back. So... she's back!" She smiled at me.

"Uh, I don't think he's gonna want-"

"Shush!" She waved her hand, and the rotten lady was gone, and I could hear distant screaming. "See? He sounds so happy to have her back!"

"Oh no..."

"Debrah asked to be fertile. And then right after, asked for twins." An old lady nearby suddenly screamed, and her belly protruded through her shawl. "See? So happy."

"Hey lady-"

"My name is Habu, so call me that, not lady."

"Habu..." I corrected myself. "These people wished these so long ago, they don't want this anymore. Especially old ladies, they don't want to be pregnant."

Habu looked up to see Debrah sobbing, lying on the ground, and Charles screaming, running away from his rotting mother.

"They're not happy? Then why did they wish for them?"

"Because at the time, they would've been happy to see this. Maybe not Charles, but at least his mother would've been... fresh?"

Habu sighed and snapped her fingers. Everything that had happened went away. My back pain came back.

"My grandma's wish was good though." The back pain went away again.

"Well, then what wishes are good to grant then?"

"Did you date them?"

"Of course."

"I'll help you, okay? Don't worry."

Habu smiled. "Thank you Hailey."

"How'd you know my name?"

"I'm a genie who grants wishes from this well, at least people who pay the correct price, y'know? I know everyone who's ever even slightly touched the well. Especially you, Hailey. You always want something good for your family. This last wish was the first one that included you. So, let's do this.